Consider the following statements about methanol.
(A) Most of the methanol today is produced by catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide in the presence of ZnO–Cr2O3 catalyst.
(B) Methanol, also known as wood spirit, was produced by the fermentation of wood.
(C) Ingestion of even small quantities of methanol can cause blindness.
(D) Methanol is used as a solvent in paints and varnishes and chiefly for making acetaldehyde.
Which of the statements given above are correct? Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A) and (C) only
Methanol, CH3OH, is one of the two commercially important alcohols. It was first obtained from wood; today it is made from carbon monoxide and hydrogen.
(A) Most of the methanol today is produced by catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide in the presence of ZnO–Cr2O3 catalyst. — True. The reaction is run at high pressure and temperature:
\( \displaystyle \ce{CO + 2H2} \xrightarrow[\text{200-300 atm, 573-673 K}]{\ce{ZnO-Cr2O3}} \ce{CH3OH} \)
(B) Methanol, also known as wood spirit, was produced by the fermentation of wood. — False. The name wood spirit comes from its old method of production, the destructive distillation of wood. Fermentation is the method used for ethanol, from sugars.
(C) Ingestion of even small quantities of methanol can cause blindness. — True. Methanol is highly poisonous; small quantities can cause blindness and large quantities can cause death.
(D) Methanol is used as a solvent in paints and varnishes and chiefly for making acetaldehyde. — False. It is a solvent in paints and varnishes, but its chief use is for making formaldehyde (methanal), not acetaldehyde.
NCERT (2026-27 edition):
7.5 Some Commercially Important Alcohols – “Methanol, CH3OH, also known as ‘wood spirit’, was produced by destructive distillation of wood. Today, most of the methanol is produced by catalytic hydrogenation of carbon monoxide at high pressure and temperature and in the presence of ZnO – Cr2O3 catalyst.”
“Methanol is a colourless liquid and boils at 337 K. It is highly poisonous in nature. Ingestion of even small quantities of methanol can cause blindness and large quantities causes even death. Methanol is used as a solvent in paints, varnishes and chiefly for making formaldehyde.”